Manchester United are reportedly in advanced talks with Atalanta over a deal for Rasmus Hojlund, and are set to submit a €50 million opening bid very soon.
According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United have already reached an agreement with Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund over personal terms and are expected to lodge their first offer in the region of €50 million later this week after receiving encouragement from the Serie A outfit, who are close to landing El Bilal Toure from Villarreal as Hojlund’s replacement.
After completing the capture of midfielder Mason Mount and goalkeeper Andre Onana earlier this summer, the Red Devils are now pushing to sign a new centre-forward before the new season kicks off.
Erik ten Hag recently revealed that Manchester United have “made progress” in talks to sign a new striker this summer, and the Dutchman hopes that a deal can be wrapped up as early as possible.
The Red Devils have made little headway in their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani, or Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, while an opportunistic potential swoop for Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe is deemed a non-starter financially.
As such, Denmark international Hojlund appears to have emerged as United’s primary striker target. Hojlund has only recently emerged as one of the most promising striking prospects in Europe, with 12 goals in 21 games for Austrian side Sturm Graz during a six-month stint in 2022 convincing Atalanta to sign the striker for around £15 million last summer.
His stock has since skyrocketed after he scored 10 goals in 34 appearances in his debut season for Atalanta in 2022–23, as well as a hat-trick on his Denmark debut. The 20-year-old, who is under contract with the Italian club until June 2027, has also been linked with PSG as a potential Kylian Mbappe replacement but is leaning towards a Manchester United move.
While the youngster’s numbers don’t scream of a goal machine, it’s completely understandable given he’s still only 20 years old, and could yet further develop under Erik ten Hag, who has built a pedigree over the years of nurturing young talent at his former club Ajax.
The Red Devils have already received the go-ahead from the Dane, who is a self-professed boyhood United fan and has signalled that he’s keen to make the move to the Theatre of Dreams.
As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Hojlund has agreed on a five-year deal that would keep him at Old Trafford until 2028, which includes an option to extend by an additional 12 months, with United planning to submit their opening bid this week.
However, the clubs seem to be far apart when it comes to agreeing on a transfer fee. Atalanta reportedly value the Danish striker at £86 million, with United keen not to spend over £60 million for the youngster, who only has one year of experience in Europe’s big five leagues.
Atalanta, meanwhile, have been making rapid progress in negotiations to sign Villarreal striker El Bilal-Toure for a package deal worth €30 million, and now have a deal in place with 21-year-old, who will arrive as a like-for-like replacement for the out-going Hojlund.
